


Claustrophobia

by Corveille



Series: Phobias [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Case Gone Wrong, Cat Owner Gavin Reed, Claustrophobic Gavin, Connor Tries, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Enemies to Not Quite Enemies, Gavin Reed Being an Asshole, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gen, Hank Anderson & Connor Friendship, Hurt Gavin Reed, Sort Of, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-24 00:57:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17694524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corveille/pseuds/Corveille
Summary: While chasing down a suspect, something goes wrong and both Connor and Gavin end up trapped in a building.Under normal circunstances that wouldn't be so bad, except Gavin turns out to be claustrophobic...and they have a limited air supply.





	Claustrophobia

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this instead of studying, so that's a pretty good start I'll say.  
>   
> Though I can feel a little uncomfortable in tight spaces, I don't have claustrophobia myself. So I hope I did a good job describing how Gavin was feeling or at least, something close to decent.  
>   
> English is not my first language so sorry in advance for any mistakes.

“--ctive.”

A sound, that’s the first thing he’s aware of, so low and muffled his ears barely pick it up, the second is the buzzing in his head, makes him want to vomit.

“--tective Reed.”

There’s a ringing in his ears that just won’t stop, like static coming from a radio. Is he going deaf of something? All those years of being a headphone user are finally coming to bite him in the ass. God, his head is killing him, feels like someone is drilling a nail through his skull. Is he having migraines again? The hell he took his medication this morning for?

“Detective _Reed_.”

The sound, he recognizes as a voice. He knows who it belongs too, is Anderson’s plastic prick. Fuck, what does that android wants with him now? Can’t he see he’s dying here? Maybe if he pays no attention to it, Connor will leave him alone so he can drown in his misery.

“ _Gavin!”_

“Ugh, what?” Is only when he hears his voice he for some reason grasp that his eyes are close. He blinks slowly, everything no more than a blur no matter where he looks. For a second he fears he’s going blind but little by little his vision starts to get back into focus. Gavin sees Connor standing above him, looking down at him with what he can only guess is concern and he must be drunk because just imagine that. The android worried about him? what a joke. That tin can would sooner take a bullet to the head than have a minimal level of care for him.

 He tries to move his head but he can barely tilt it an inch before pain explodes like a mine throughout his brain.

 It so unexpected it makes him take a sharp intake of breath reflexively and it only serves to make the pain multiply by a hundred. His chest, it feels like someone up and pierced him right in his lungs and he’s helpless to stop it.

He freezes his body as best as he can to dull the aching, and all he can think is breathing shouldn’t hurt this much, it shouldn’t hurt this fucking much.

“Fu-cking hell, what the--?”

“Detective, you have four fractured ribs and a concussion. It is imperative that you do not go back to sleep and minimize your movement to avoid aggravating your injuries.”  As good of an advice as that is in this scenario he, being Gavin, does the opposite, pushing up with his hands so he doesn’t have the plastic looming over him. The pain is unbearable but it’s nothing that compares to his pride. He would never be at the mercy of this fucking machine, deviant or not.

 Slowly, he drags his body back with gritted teeth. There’s something running down his nape and he has a good guess on what it could be. He touches the back of his head to check and his fingers come back red.

“Ah fuck.” He flinches when his back touch the wall, stone cold against his skin.

“Detective…”

“Shut up,” as Gavin opens his eyes again to glare back at Connor, he notices their surroundings. It’s dark, really dark and what comes to Gavin’s mind first is the two are in a cave of some sort as little sense as it makes, but as his eyes begin to adjust, Gavin realizes what he thought were mere rocks are actually rubble. Bricks, wood and concrete lie around every corner, creating a dome over them. Even with the poor light provided by the android’s head and uniform, Gavin can’t see any way out of here, they’re trapped.

The android is crouched next to him, one knee on the floor while the other leg is bend at an 90° angle and his light head a never-ending yellow. As Gavin looks up, he finds the source of the android’s distress. Its arms are supporting a huge piece of metal over them, almost seems like it’s using all of his power to keep that thing from coming down and crushing the two like bugs.

He tries to remember how they even got into this situation, but his mind comes up blank.

“Connor, what the fuck happened?” It shifts as much as it can with who know how many pounds on top of it and looks directly at him.

“We were chasing a suspect involved in an android homicide. We followed him to an abandoned building and were about to subdue him but it turned out to be a trap. He wanted us there...” As Connor explains, bits and pieces fill in his memory.

Connor getting assigned as his partner to continue on a case because the old-timer has broken his leg in the last run. Fowler, threatening to have his badge if he didn’t comply. The two going to check a supposed lead and finding some fucker trying to leave the scene. Chasing him down to an old factory, the perp muttering something followed by a click, then an ear-shattering sound and then…. then nothing.

“…it was my fault, I sensed his stress levels were too high and he was showing unusual behavior but dismissed it as us being the cause of it. When I realized there was a bomb in the building, it was too late.” Though Gavin would love to give the android shit for that mistake, he has enough decency left in him to know this is not the time to be pointing fingers.

“Is the perp dead?” In any case, it’d technically be his fault because _he_ was the one meant to restrain that lunatic, _he_ should not have left room for him to grab the stupid detonator.

“My sensors can’t pick up any other signs of life around us.”

“Then forget about it, focus on getting us out of here.”

“I’ve already contacted the station. I’m tracking their progress as we speak.”

“Wonderful toaster, so you _can_ be useful for something.” He knows he shouldn’t make fun of the only thing standing between salvation and death. Connor, deviant or not, it’s still a machine an even if that metal piece could cause some serious damage, his parts could be replaced. He could be repaired good as new.

Humans don’t have that privilege, it’d be game over for him. He can’t even know if it’ll kill him instantly or slowly crush him to death, wait for him to run out of air while enclosed by bricks and dust.

He does his best not to think about that or how the walls seem to close in on him. Breathing hurts like all hell and he feels like he’s not getting enough of it, the air feels like tar in his throat.

“Detective you need to calm down and slow your breathing.” Gavin almost forgot the plastic is in here with him for a second, trapped just like he is. Control your breathing right, would be a lot easier if his ribs would just cooperate with him. As well as his fucking hands.

His hand’s constant twitching brings his attention to it but as he looks down, he finds his arms are trembling too, why the fuck are they trembling? This is nothing, he’s fine. He’s perfectly fine in here. He knows how this goes, he knows how to deal with it. Just like that car. He’s good.

“I’m fucking fine, don’t panic. It’s nothing…nothing.” He doesn’t even realize he’s speaking aloud until something shifts directly above him.

Rocks move as some of the debris starts to fall on top of them. He doesn’t gasp and he definitely doesn’t scream when Connor shots out an arm to stop the rocks from crushing in on them, causing the metal to slide close enough to graze his leg. He moves them as far away from that thing as he can but in the process, ends up squeezed between the wall and Connor.

The android is now supporting two things that could potentially kill him. Gavin doesn’t know much about them but he hopes this one is strong enough to deal with this on its own until help arrives.

Light is now red and he doesn't need to be a genius in robotics to know that's not a fucking good sign. The tincan is too close, too freaking close and it's only because of that closeness Gavin's able to see the rips and tears in it's immaculate Cyberlife suit. Tie lossened and hanging low on it's chest, usual perfect hair now a mess full of dirt. Some of it's skin seems to be gone too although, he can't be sure with this poor light.

“Detective please listen to me, my sensors indicate there’s only a 34,6% oxygen left and is decreasing fast, you have to regulate your breathing. Follow my lead.”  Because telling a man that’s freaking out how much air he has left is totally going to calm him down, dipshit. Why doesn't it go and say how much time he has left too?

There’s so little space now, Connor is right on top of him and he can’t move. He limbs won’t work, and the walls are digging into his back and he can’t breathe in here, he-he can’t. There’s no air. There’s no fucking air in this room.

“Detective. _Gavin,_ close your eyes for me.” Gavin wants to tell Connor to shut the hell up but the words just don’t come out. He’s thinking them, he feels his mouth moving but he doesn’t hear them. Is he even speaking right now? Connor is still looking at him, expectant.

It won’t work. Not seeing won’t make him forget where he is, won’t stop him from thinking about it. He needs out, he needs to get out, now.

“I-I can’t.”

“Please, Gavin. Trust me.” And Gavin doesn’t understand. Doesn’t get why Connor is doing this for him when he’d been nothing but an asshole to it. He isn’t like Anderson, won’t change his views just because it’s doing something nice to him and he’s sure it knows this so, why?

Why do you care?

“Put your hand on my chest and close your eyes.” Shakily he does, tries to follow Connor fake patters of breathing and closes his eyes. His chest is tight and the stone unyielding, but Connor voice keeps a soft tone as he asks. “What’s the most important thing in your life?”

“My-my cat, Ada.” He replies without a second thought. That little rascal is the only thing that gets him through some days.

“Ada, what a nice name. Could you describe her to me?”

“She’s a black Maine coon, with the yellowest eyes you’ll ever see. A little demon that leaves hair all over the couch and scratches every curtain in the house. Got her out of the streets five years ago.” He imagines her in his head, looking at him and meowing loudly to get his attention.

“She sounds lovely, what does she usually do when you get home?”

“I—she’s usually at the door to greet me. I take out my jacket and play with her for a while.” As he pictures himself waving the stupid toy mouse in from of Ada he thinks about how the fears is no longer gripping relentlessly at his mind. Breathing hasn’t become any easier but, he’s not on the verge of panic anymore.

“Good, Gavin. Help is almost here just hold on a little longer.” Gavin wants to ask when exactly did Connor start getting all buddy-buddy with him to use his first name so freely but he doesn’t have the energy anymore.

In his dazed state he hears the sirens in the distance. He opens his eyes on reflex and comes face to face with warm, they’re warm eyes, staring at him. Gavin wonder just when did Connor move but it’s hard to think, it’s hard to do anything if he’s honest. He goes to break contact but the android stops him.

“Just focus on me, Gavin.” It’s difficult to concentrate, he’s seeing black spots in his vision. Is this what dying feels like? “Stay with me…”

“Fuck, Con—.” He’s slurring the words, his tongue’s heavy like it’s made of lead and he’s so tired. Maybe he can take a little nap, talk about his cat later. He needs to feed her after his shift ends, anyways.

He thinks he hears Connor calling his name one more time, and then there’s darkness.

 

* * *

 

 

Gavin wakes up to the humming beat of a monitor in a white room. The first thing he thinks is he’s died and he’s in heaven. The second is that heaven looks very similar to a hospital room and that sucks. The third is he made it to heaven? He tries to get up and is reminded of his broken ribs, of course how could he even forget that. Gavin’s pretty sure he’d not be able to feel pain if he were to be dead, a pretty shitty design for heaven if that’s the case.

“Finally up kid?” As he goes to answer, he gets all the confirmation he needs to know he’s in hell, his own personally hell.

“You gotta be kidding me.” Who in their right mind thought I’d be a good idea to put him next to the old geezer, he’s punching his doctor when he comes in to check on him.

“I’m just as happy as you are about this.” Fucking Anderson is sitting in his bed with his usual frown on his alcoholic face. Half eaten pudding in one hand, plastic spoon in the other and leg held up and wrapped in a cast.

There’s something written on it and Gavin almost screams into his pillow, because right there the name Connor shines at him in perfect blue Cyberlife letterary. Most tecnological and advance detective alright but with the mindset of a fucking child, God. He groans into his hands instead and doesn’t need his eyes to know Anderson is grinning at him.

"You know," He says, using that old gruffy voice reserved for those stupid teens that won't shut up about how 'they did nothing wrong' at the station, "he would've done the same, had the docs put a cast on you too." He’s so lucky Gavin can’t move right now.

"Oh yeah and would've eaten a bullet for it, too." Only not really, fucker would've ended up dodging it like a pro while _also_ twisting his wrist in the process. Which makes all this situation all the more unbelievable, Gavin starts wondering if this just a weird dream and he's still in bed at home, drunk out of his mind.

The glass door of opens with a beep as the android of the moment walks in all its pristine glory to where they are. Looking like it came fresh out of the factory, not a single scratch on it. Speak of the devil and he shall appear in-fucking-deed.

“Good Morning Lieutenant.”

“Hey Connor, how’s it going?” In a moment he’d be saving for ages as blackmail material, Connor makes the most awkward thumbs up Gavin has ever seen in his life. Just, that forced crooked smile that tries to match with the hand is so fucking funny. So unfortunate he can’t laugh without feeling like shit, most he manages is a cough before his chest reminds him he’s one step away from writhing in agony.

The android finally notes he’s awake and its smile goes back to a blank face, typical.

“Oh Detective, so good to see you up too.” Oh so they’re back to that again. Too bad because Gavin’s pretty much done with formalities and it’s not even ten in the morning, that’s a record.

“Yeah, yeah cut the bullshit. How long was I out?”

“You were unconscious for 24 hours and 30 minutes.” A whole fucking day, no wonder he’s not feeling tired at all.

“Snored too, like the asshole he is.”

“Fuck you Hank,” he gives a him the middle finger as Anderson brings his leg down and out of the bed.

“Where are you going, Hank?” Connor tries to help him but Anderson just pushes its hands off and grabs the IV stand.

“To get some snacks in one of the vending machines, is too fucking early to be listening to Gavin’s bitching. You coming?”

“Actually, I think I’ll rather wait here, Lieutenant.” And Hank lifts and eyebrow at that but says nothing, just gives one last look at Gavin before getting out of the room. Someone IV him some poison because he probably did this on purpose. As much of a shitty drunk he is, Anderson doesn’t have that badge for nothing.

Connor stares at the empty space for a second, and then turns to him. Cold, disconnected and with its light head an even blue. Gavin waits, and waits but when the stuck-up romba doesn't make a move, he takes the initiative.

"What the hell do you want tinman? I know you're just dying to ask me something." Connor's light turns red and then, in a blink, goes back to a bright blue.

“Can I ask a rather personal question, detective?” Might as well.

“Be my fucking guest.”

“When did you find out you were claustrophobic?” Not wasting any time huh? Gavin goes to open his mouth but Connor answers before he can even ask the question. “Your whispering of reassuring words made me assume you’ve dealt with something like this before, am I correct?”

“Three years back. Some perps hand-cuffed me and got me in the back of a truck, fucked right off into the night. Had to wait for six hours before Chris found me,” under other circumstances, he’d never admit this to anyone, but what good would it do to hide it? The android has already seen this up and close. “You know what I’m going to ask so let’s get this over with. Why did you do it?”

“I’m sorry?” It asks with such a scripted innocence it makes him sick.

“Why did you help me? And don’t you dare pull that _‘you’d have done the same for me’_ crap because you and I both know I fucking wouldn’t have.”

Even with the knowledge that android supposedly had feelings now, he’d never done anything to change his behavior toward Connor. Not only that but the thing had expressed many times how the hatred he felt for it was mutual. In the way it spoke and gesticulated. How it’d put up with him and his witty remarks but only to a certain degree. If he got feed up he’d talked back. He’d push and Connor would push back harder, charming every other fool to take his side.

It pissed him off, everything it did was too human.

He was too human.

“I’m not you, detective.”

“What an astute observation braniac, anything else you wanna add?” Connor’s light spins yellow again for a second, like he’s thinking it over.

“You seem under the impression that I’d take great joy in your suffering…”

"Suffering ha, I'd bet you anything you were pretty pleased with youlself when you K.Oed me in the evidence room, dipshit."

"Completely irrelevant, I simply was a machine trying to acomplish a mission if you recall. I never felt any form of satisfaction after that fight," of course not, but that was because he couldn't have felt anything then...but now. 

“I know I would.” He says without thinking and Connor gives him a look, such a resigned look like he’d anticipated that to be his answer, probably calculated it.

“And I repeat, I’m not you… no matter what certain level of 'dislike' we may have for one another regurlarly, I had no desire to see you in such distress like you experienced yesterday. You were my partner back then, not my enemy so I acted accordingly.”

And it’d been just as easy as that, hadn’t it? Connor had not seen him as the man who made his life hell every chance he got, back then. He saw him as someone who he had to help, because partners are supposed to have each other back. Gavin wanted to laugh, machines being more morally right than humans, what was this world coming to?

“Is that all?”

“What?”

“If that was all you wanted from me, I need to go and make sure the nurses know you woke up.” Now that’s a fucking lie, he can use his telepathy thing to contact an android nurse without moving a finger, but he lets it pass.

“Whatever,” as Connor goes to the door, he stops with his hand just hovering over the side panel and looks back at him.

“I’d really like to meet Ada sometime, detective.” And with another beep, just like that he’s gone, leaving Gavin alone in the room.

And as Gavin sits there, he wonders just when exactly did he start addressing the android as he instead of it.

 

* * *

 

 

Three weeks later Connor finds a black fortune cat waving at him on his desk. A Thank you note next to it with the words _“burn this once you read it”_ written on the back.

As he stares across the bullpen at Gavin, the detective simply sips at his coffee and goes back to look at his terminal.

 

He doesn’t notice the smile directed at him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you like this little thing :)  
>   
> Now back to the sudying....


End file.
